[4] When the persecution of Baháʼís intensified in Iran in 1955, Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, suspended plans for a House of Worship in Tehran and commissioned two others in its place, one in Kampala, Uganda, and the other in Sydney, both designed by Hand of the Cause of God Charles Mason Remey.

[3] The temple was dedicated on 16 and 17 September 1961[3] by Shoghi Effendi's widow Rúhíyyih Khánum (Mary Maxwell),[6] and international dignitaries then attended a reception hosted by the mayor of Sydney.

[2] In 2011, a week of events was held to mark the temple's fiftieth anniversary, including an interfaith prayer service, a reception attended by dignitaries such as the Premier of New South Wales, and an exhibition featuring children's art on creating a more peaceful world.

[5] The temple is a highly visible landmark[6] as it occupies the highest point above Sydney's Northern Beaches region,[2] overlooking the Pacific coast[6] at Mona Vale.

[6] The surrounding gardens contain a variety of native Australian flora including waratahs, three species of eucalypts, caleyi and other grevillea, acacia, and woody pear.

[1][9] On Sundays and on Baháʼí Holy Days, public prayer services are held with readings from the sacred texts of various religions and a cappella music sung by the temple choir.